Witchcraft Books Burned

This chapter is based on Acts 19:1-20. 

In the time of the apostles, Ephesus was the capital of the Roman province of Asia. Its harbor was crowded with ships, and its streets were thronged with people from every country. Like Corinth, it was a promising field for missionary work. 4TC 145.2

The Jews, widely scattered in all civilized lands, were generally expecting the Messiah. When John the Baptist was preaching, many who visited Jerusalem had gone out to the Jordan to listen to him. There they had heard him proclaim Jesus as the Promised One, and they had carried the news to all parts of the world. In this way God had prepared the way for the apostles. 4TC 145.3

At Ephesus, Paul found twelve believers who had been disciples of John the Baptist and who had gained some knowledge of Christ’s mis sion. But when Paul asked them if they had received the Holy Spirit, they answered, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.” “Into what then were you baptized?” Paul inquired. They said, “Into John’s baptism.” 4TC 145.4

Then the apostle told them of Christ’s life and of His cruel and shameful death, and how He had risen triumphant over death. He repeated the Savior’s commission: “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:18, 19). He also told them of Christ’s promise to send the Comforter and described how gloriously the Lord had fulfilled this promise on the Day of Pentecost. 4TC 146.1

The men listened with amazement and joy. They grasped the truth of Christ’s atoning sacrifice and received Him as their Redeemer. They were then baptized in the name of Jesus, and as Paul “laid hands on them,” they received the Holy Spirit and were enabled to speak the languages of other nations and to prophesy. In this way God qualified them to preach the gospel in Asia Minor. 4TC 146.2

By cherishing a humble, teachable spirit, these men gained the experience that enabled them to go as workers into the harvest field. Their example presents a valuable lesson. Many make very little progress in their spiritual life because they are too self-sufficient. They are content with a superficial knowledge of God’s Word. 4TC 146.3

If the followers of Christ would earnestly seek wisdom, God would lead them into rich fields of truth that they don’t yet know exist. God’s divine hand will guide those who give themselves fully to Him. As they treasure the lessons of divine wisdom, God will enable them to make their lives an honor to Him and a blessing to the world. 4TC 146.4

The Holy Spirit Produces Fruit in the Believer

Christ calls our attention to the growth of the vegetable world as an illustration of how His Spirit sustains spiritual life. The sap of the grapevine, going up from the root, goes out to the branches and produces fruit. So the Holy Spirit, sent from the Savior, fills the heart, renews the motives, and brings even the thoughts into obedience to God’s will, enabling the person to bear precious fruit. 4TC 146.5

The exact method God uses to give spiritual life is beyond human minds to explain. Yet the workings of the Spirit are always in harmony with the written Word. As the natural life is not sustained by a direct miracle, but through the use of blessings God places within our reach, so the spiritual life is sustained by using resources that Providence has supplied. The follower of Christ must eat the bread of life and drink the water of salvation, following the instructions of God in His Word in all things. 4TC 147.1

There is another lesson in the experience of those Jewish converts. When they received baptism from John, they did not fully understand Jesus’ mission as the Sin Bearer. But with clearer light, they gladly accepted Christ as their Redeemer, and as they received a purer faith, their lives changed in harmony with their new beliefs. To represent this change and to acknowledge their faith in Christ, they were rebaptized in the name of Jesus. 4TC 147.2

Paul continued his work at Ephesus for three months. In the synagogue he “spoke boldly ..., reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God.” As in other places, he was soon violently opposed. “Some stubbornly refused to believe and spoke evil of the Way before the congregation” (NRSV). As they persisted in rejecting the gospel, the apostle stopped preaching in the synagogue. 4TC 147.3

Paul presented enough evidence to win over all who honestly wanted the truth. But many refused to accept the most convincing evidence. Fearing that the believers would be in danger if they continued to associate with these opposers of the truth, Paul gathered the disciples into a group of their own, continuing his public instructions in the school of Tyrannus. 4TC 147.4

The Battle Between Christ and Satan at Ephesus

Paul saw that “a great and effective door” was opening before him, although there were “many adversaries” (1 Corinthians 16:9). Ephesus was not only the most magnificent city in Asia, but it was also the most corrupt. Superstition and sensual pleasure were in control. Under the shadow of her temples, criminals of every kind found shelter, and degrading sins multiplied. 4TC 147.5

Diana of the Ephesians had a magnificent temple there, whose fame extended worldwide. Its splendor made it the pride of the nation. People claimed that the idol within the temple had fallen from the sky. Books had been written to explain the meaning of symbols inscribed in it. Among those who studied these books diligently were many magicians, who exerted a powerful influence over the superstitious worshipers of the temple’s image. 4TC 147.6

The power of God accompanied Paul’s efforts at Ephesus, and many were healed of physical illnesses. These demonstrations of supernatural power were far stronger than any that had ever been seen in Ephesus, and no juggler’s skill or sorcerer’s spell could duplicate them. As Paul did these miracles in the name of Jesus, the people had opportunity to see that the God of heaven was more powerful than the magicians of the goddess Diana. And so the Lord exalted His servant far above the most powerful of the magicians. 4TC 148.1

But God, to whom all the spirits of evil are subject, was about to bring still greater defeat on those who despised and profaned His holy name. The Mosaic law had prohibited sorcery, yet apostate Jews had secretly practiced it. In Ephesus there were “some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists” who, seeing the wonders Paul performed, “took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits.” “Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish high priest, who did so.” Finding a man possessed with a demon, they said to him, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” But “the evil spirit answered and said, ‘Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?’ Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.” 4TC 148.2

This experience gave unmistakable proof of the sacredness of Christ’s name and the danger of trying to use it without faith in the Savior’s divinity. “Fear fell on them all; and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.” 4TC 148.3

Facts hidden until then now came to light. To some extent some of the believers still continued to practice magic. Now, convinced of their error, many believers “came confessing and telling their deeds. Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver. So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.” 4TC 148.4

By burning their books on magic, the Ephesian converts showed that the things they had once delighted in, they now hated. Through magic they had especially offended God and put their spiritual life in danger, and now it was against magic that they showed such indignation. In this way they gave evidence of true conversion. 4TC 149.1

Why They Burned the Satanic Books

These books on sorcery were the regulations of Satan’s worship—directions for requesting his help and obtaining information from him. By keeping these books the disciples would have exposed themselves to temptation. By selling them they would have placed temptation in the way of others. To destroy the power of the kingdom of darkness, they did not hesitate at any sacrifice. Truth triumphed over their love of money. The gospel won a great victory right in the stronghold of superstition. The influence of what took place there was more widespread than even Paul realized. 4TC 149.2

Sorcery is practiced today as surely as in the days of the old-time magicians. Through modern spiritualism Satan presents himself as though he were our departed friends. The Scriptures declare that “the dead know nothing” (Ecclesiastes 9:5). They do not communicate with the living. But Satan uses this ploy in order to gain control of minds. Through spiritualism many of the sick, the grieving, and the curious are communicating with evil spirits. All who do this are on dangerous ground. 4TC 149.3

The magicians of heathen times have their counterpart in the spiritualistic mediums and fortunetellers of today. The mystic voices at Endor and Ephesus are still misleading men and women by their lying words. Evil angels are using all their skills to deceive and destroy. Wherever an influence causes people to forget God, Satan is exercising his bewitching power there. When anyone yields to his influence, the mind is bewildered and the heart polluted. “Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them” (Ephesians 5:11). 4TC 149.4